Preview — Stripped
by Zoey Castile

Stripped

Skilled, sculpted, and sexy, the men of adult entertainment are the kind of guys a woman reserves for her fantasies, not her reality. But is there more to these professional hotties than meets the eye?…

The day Robyn Flores meets Zac Fallon is one of those days. You know, when you’re already late for work. Mostly because you haven’t really slept since your best friend abandSkilled, sculpted, and sexy, the men of adult entertainment are the kind of guys a woman reserves for her fantasies, not her reality. But is there more to these professional hotties than meets the eye?…

The day Robyn Flores meets Zac Fallon is one of those days. You know, when you’re already late for work. Mostly because you haven’t really slept since your best friend abandoned you for her fiancé and her exponentially better life. The kind of day you drag yourself to the cleaners to pick up your laundry, only to discover you’ve got the wrong bag—Star Spangled sequined thong, anyone? So Robyn is definitely not ready for the ridiculously gorgeous guy at her front door, except that they have each other’s clothes. But then, is any woman ever ready to meet the love of her life?

There’s just one problem: Zac Fallon is not the love of Robyn’s life. Zac knows, despite the all-too-intimate dinner they share, he doesn’t have a shot at her. Because the next time Zac sees Robyn, he’s front and center of the male revue headlining her best friend’s bachelorette party. So much for wooing the pretty schoolteacher, much less impressing her old-fashioned family, with his upstanding lifestyle. Now he’s only got one way to win his dream girl. It’s gonna be the steamiest, most irresistible seduction she’s ever seen. And this time it will be no act…...more

I had such high hopes for Stripped – I mean, a stripper and a fifth-grade teacher? To say I was intrigued would be an understatement, and I ended up adoring Fallon and Robyn. Their romance was surprisingly so much sweeter than I expected, but just as dirty and sexy as I was hoping a stripper romance would be. It was so easy to fall into the story, the writing, the characters. Zoey Castile is a new author you don’t want to miss. And if you’re a fan of MagicOriginally posted at Booklovers For Life

I had such high hopes for Stripped – I mean, a stripper and a fifth-grade teacher? To say I was intrigued would be an understatement, and I ended up adoring Fallon and Robyn. Their romance was surprisingly so much sweeter than I expected, but just as dirty and sexy as I was hoping a stripper romance would be. It was so easy to fall into the story, the writing, the characters. Zoey Castile is a new author you don’t want to miss. And if you’re a fan of Magic Mike, you absolutely need to read Stripped!

Robyn Flores’ life is a bit of a mess. She’s an elementary school teacher who is perpetually late getting to work. She used to have plans growing up on how exactly her life would turn out, and it’s all spiraled out from under her. But things start to change when she finds a sequined thong in her laundry… a thong that belongs to her next door neighbor, who is also one of the strippers who shows up at her best friend’s bachelorette party.

Fallon is not ashamed of being a stripper, and why should he be? He embraces his job that has led him to become successful and comfortable in life, a change from his childhood. He sees no shame in what he does, though he hates that people disrespect him and look down on him when they find out what he does for a living. He and Robyn feel an instant connection the moment they meet and the chemistry between them is on fire. I loved every moment they were together, as they banter with each other and form a closer bond. Fallon is absolutely perfect for Robyn, with the way he treats her so preciously. The way he embraces his job helps Robyn discover and embrace her own true passion in life. Robyn frustrated me a bit with her back and forth – in both life and with Fallon – but that was balanced out by how kindhearted Fallon was. Stripped was surprisingly low on drama, but it worked for their story.

As far as first books in a series go, Stripped was fantastic. It was entertaining, funny, but also had its meaningful moments. Also, Zoey Castile is way too talented at writing stripper scenes, because they just come to life right out of the pages. And they are HOT. I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for her readers with the rest of the series, and I’m so excited to see more strippers fall in love!

Who thought I would ever read a book about a male stripper hero? Certainly not me! Stripped was at the top of my most anticipated romance reads of the year and Zoey Castille's romance debut totally swept me off my feet. It was funny, charming and oh so sexy!

I'm going to start this review by raving about Fallon, the said stripper. I have to say, he was top book boyfriend material for me. He was someone who rose up from a rather sad childhood to become someone successful and comfortable. The guy hWho thought I would ever read a book about a male stripper hero? Certainly not me! Stripped was at the top of my most anticipated romance reads of the year and Zoey Castille's romance debut totally swept me off my feet. It was funny, charming and oh so sexy!

I'm going to start this review by raving about Fallon, the said stripper. I have to say, he was top book boyfriend material for me. He was someone who rose up from a rather sad childhood to become someone successful and comfortable. The guy had the kindest heart ever and I loved how pure and precious he was. He knew that being a stripper wasn't a job that brought him glory or earned him the respect of people around him, but Fallon was entirely satisfied with his job that not only paid him well but also allowed him to travel the world. I loved that he wasn't ashamed of his profession and instead, completely embraced it. The guy totally had the moves outside of the performing stage too, and ugh I was so in love with him. Actually, if I'm being honest, I fell in love with him the minute I found out he had a husky puppy which was very early on in the book. I have no shame ...

Robyn, his neighbor and love interest, was more of a hot mess. Growing up, she had a vision and clear plan of what her life would look like. Unfortunately, she was at a place in her life that she was not satisfied with. She was repeatedly late to her job as an elementary school teacher and was sometimes at odds with her best friend, who seemed to have turned her life around in the best way. I'll admit that there were times that I found Robyn's behavior a little careless, especially when it came to being late to school. I did understand where she was coming from, but I wish she had made the decision to go after her dreams without burdening the kids and their education. Despite that, I did end up liking Robyn because she was humorous and witty. She also slowly began to figure out what she truly wanted to do with her life as well as tried to make amends with her friend.

Fallon and Robyn's romance was my favorite part of Stripped. There were elements that made it almost close to insta-romance, but I found it to be believable in this case. The chemistry between the two was on fire and their banter truly entertaining. It was just a delight for me to read their interactions, which was probably why I sped through this book in a matter of hours. The drama/conflict in the book was also rather low-key, which I appreciated. Stripped was also steamy as hell, but more than the bedroom scenes, I found Fallon's performances to be sexier. Zoey Castille does an amazing job at describing those scenes and you should read the book just for them. The secondary cast here was also a lot of fun. I liked meeting Fallon's coworkers and getting acquainted with their different personalities. I can't wait to read their books.

Stripped was a great start to the Happy Endings series and I'm looking forward to seeing what Zoey Castille has up her sleeves with the future books. If you like Magic Mike and romantic comedies, you've got to read this book....more

My 3s are the weirdest rating shelf is gonna be so long.There were things that I wasn't in love with about the writing style--too much repetition and restating. It started undeniably cute, and I thought the heroine was really interesting. The hero was--how do they say--a cinnamon roll, mostly? He's a stripper, she's a teacher. He's ready to settle down, tale as old as time.

She's a bit of a mess (this is on my 'i will forget your names by morning' shelf for a good reason) feeling overwhelmed andMy 3s are the weirdest rating shelf is gonna be so long.There were things that I wasn't in love with about the writing style--too much repetition and restating. It started undeniably cute, and I thought the heroine was really interesting. The hero was--how do they say--a cinnamon roll, mostly? He's a stripper, she's a teacher. He's ready to settle down, tale as old as time.

She's a bit of a mess (this is on my 'i will forget your names by morning' shelf for a good reason) feeling overwhelmed and buried and not able to keep on her internal mess that is quickly turning external. she's turning into a bad friend, self-centered. It was an oddly mysterious storyline until the hero Fallon! thank god. said to her, "It sounds like you're depressed." And I thought, hallelujah. She's isolating herself, has no will or direction to get things done, feels off, doesn't know what's wrong with her. I thought, interesting.

Guess where that went? No where! Into the loving arms of her beau, into a life where she upends everything she's doing. I guess it felt a little minimized, where I think it's a very big deal. And someone was pretty right with what's up with her. And true, situations can change and make one have a different outlook I suppose, but I just didn't trust it. I just didn't.

Then there was the bitches. A principal who kept hitting on her, her friends and other women ganging up on her and 'outing' her boyfriend as a stripper. And I thought, "ah c'mon," where this felt like it was going to be a book with meaningful secondary relationships, it wasn't. Instead we're given reasons those relationships just don't stand up to her and the hero.

And there's more. The hero's a stripper and she gets pulled on stage. The hero's a stripper and there's a bachelorette party she's at where said hero is dancing for a bride who cannot stand the thought. Since these situations are the things of nightmares (hey, I have been pulled on stage before and I 'd be mortified if strange men tried to dance on me.) Not fun, but ok. Fine, sometimes a stripper novel won't appeal to me.

But the hero has this has a husky puppy. This might be an insane thing to nitpick on, but I take pet owning a little too far. He leaves the puppy alone a lot. And then basically lets the puppy out to potty. the dog is a fricking husky. In a new york apartment. Then he leaves the dog alone again to get laid.

I get that it's supposed to signify his care and commitment, but instead it's a big old 'half-assed' look for the hero. And he's got these weird temper flares because of his insecurity. And they didn't work.

So, 2.75 to 3. I'll try again. It was just disappointing in the end....more

Stripped is the perfect romcom to read in an afternoon on the beach, maybe with a cocktail nearby.

Don't expect too much, besides laughing, giggling and a little bit of drooling, while imagining the hero to be Magic Mike.

There's no actual drama, so the story is pink and fluffy. Both main characters have amazing banter and chemistry and the heroine is just a beautiful hot mess. I don't know what else to tell you about it, besides the fact tThat was fun! Actual rating is somewhere between 3-4★.

Stripped is the perfect romcom to read in an afternoon on the beach, maybe with a cocktail nearby.

Don't expect too much, besides laughing, giggling and a little bit of drooling, while imagining the hero to be Magic Mike.

There's no actual drama, so the story is pink and fluffy. Both main characters have amazing banter and chemistry and the heroine is just a beautiful hot mess. I don't know what else to tell you about it, besides the fact that I really enjoyed it, I felt good reading it and i would definitely recommend it, when you need a light read. :)

"ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review."...more

Robyn Flores, schoolteacher, is floundering. She’s depressed, struggling to focus on work and her personal life, she can’t sleep and she’s barely holding on by a thread. When a laundry mixup involving a very patriotic thong ends up bringing her into contact with her neighbor, Zach Fallon, sparks fly. Fallon’s just gotten home from a night at ye olde strip club, and seeing his beautiful neighbor in her robe captivates him and he asks her out. And she promptly rejects him. C’mon, y’all know it’s nRobyn Flores, schoolteacher, is floundering. She’s depressed, struggling to focus on work and her personal life, she can’t sleep and she’s barely holding on by a thread. When a laundry mixup involving a very patriotic thong ends up bringing her into contact with her neighbor, Zach Fallon, sparks fly. Fallon’s just gotten home from a night at ye olde strip club, and seeing his beautiful neighbor in her robe captivates him and he asks her out. And she promptly rejects him. C’mon, y’all know it’s never an easy road to an HEA folks, but yes, romance happens.

Now I’m going to try and keep this review simple.

Ok, fine. We’ll see if I manage to keep it under novella-length, shall we?

The Good-Latinx author and heroine. Zoey Castile was born in Ecuador, raised in Queens, and I adore that she’s worked her corner of New York into her story. Robyn is Latinx, and it’s woven seamlessly into her character’s history without big neon . Yes, I love the diverse cast of characters, that NYC vibe and how it all works to make a very interesting backdrop to this romance.-Magic Mike meets Bridesmaids? I’m in. Robyn’s struggles, in particular her depression, has led to an estrangement from her best friend Lily and it was giving me strong, strong Kristen Wiig/Maya Rudolph’s friendship from Bridesmaids vibes. While I would have loved to see more of them together (more on that later), their friendship felt genuine and I especially liked that they still had each other’s backs when it really mattered. - Fallon’s a sweet hero. I have pretty straightforward tastes. If you give me great Firsts and a hero who is ALL IN for his heroine, I’m usually a very happy romance reader. He’s adorable, ripped for days and hot for his woman. Yeah, I loved him.

The Bad(ish)-Pacing. I would have loved to have seen more time spent building up their relationship, especially in the beginning. Their meet-cute really did set up a good foundation, and I loved that time was spent by both characters in scenes outside the relationship. However, the way their relationship developed stutter-stopped, with the transition between every step just a bit off. The subplots involving his job and hers were appreciated, though they weren’t developed beyond the necessary and the ending was rushed.

Everything in Between-Bonus points for the chapter title names. Made me want to go out and listen to them all on a playlist.-I want more. I liked the supporting characters, or at least what I saw of them. Aiden is a standout and I completely understand why he’s getting his own HEA and I’m ready and waiting, because

I really liked Robyn and Fallon’s romance. The Bridesmaids meets Magic Mike with vibe was entertaining and made me close my kindle with a smile. That’s all I can ask for. I’d recommend for rom com fans, and I’m looking forward to the next one.

*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I have been dying to get my little paws on Stripped ever since the publishing deal for this series was announced. I mean "a 'Magic Mike' inspired romance set in NYC", need I say more?! I live for stripper romances and though I wasn't particularly a fan of Magic Mike the movie, I had high hopes that Zoey Castile would deliver with this movie-inspired romance.

Robyn Flores' life is a mess. She's unhappy w*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I have been dying to get my little paws on Stripped ever since the publishing deal for this series was announced. I mean "a 'Magic Mike' inspired romance set in NYC", need I say more?! I live for stripper romances and though I wasn't particularly a fan of Magic Mike the movie, I had high hopes that Zoey Castile would deliver with this movie-inspired romance.

Robyn Flores' life is a mess. She's unhappy with her job, her social life is lonely now that her best friend is getting married and she feels like she's lost her sense of purpose. Things take a turn when a mishap between Robyn and her new sexy neighbor, Zac Fallon, takes place and sparks fly between the pair. Since neither one is in the right place to start a new relationship, they make an arrangement to enjoy each other's company until Zac has to leave for his new gig. But when Zac has to leave earlier than expected, will these two be able to go their separate ways as easily as they had hoped?

I had high hopes that Zoey Castile would not let me down with this book and I am happy to say that she did not disappoint! Stripped was the perfect blend of sexy and sweet and I couldn't get enough! I just want to say that this story takes place in Astoria which is not too far from where I live and never have I ever seen any guys like Zac up in those part of the hood. Like are y'all hiding them somewhere and if so can you hook a girl up, please?! Tangent aside, I love the fact that this book takes place in a setting that I am familiar with. It's so rare that I ever read a book that sets in my part of NYC. The writing was on point and I swear this shit was like crack because I had a hard time removing my eReader from my hand. There were so many laughable, heartfelt moments that left me smiling and then there were the down right sexy scenes that left me heated. My favorite parts have to be all the stripper scenes. Like I ain't even ashamed, but the visuals in those scenes had me living! I loved both of our main characters. Robyn is such a relatable character and I feel like we're both in similar places in our lives. Throughout this book she tries to find her passion again and learns to take risks she wouldn't normally take. And then we have Zac who is also struggling with happiness because although he loves being a stripper, it's not giving him the joy he once used to feel. You guys, I fell so hard for Zac. He is a dream babe! The romance is a bit insta-lovey but it worked for me so I didn't mind it. Also the chemistry between Zac and Robyn is sizzling! I can't wait to read the next book in the Happy Endings series. I'm sure it will be just as addicting as the first book!...more

A steamy read! The characters are amusing, flirtatious, and shameless; while the plot is a rowdy and entertaining journey that follows the unlikely romance between a chaotic fifth grade teacher and one sexy male stripper. The author does a great job of unearthing the unique and dynamic brotherhood that lies beneath the glitter, sequinned thongs, and shallow partying of the world of exotic dancing. A fun and fresh love story; Stripped shows us just howSong for summary: Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled

A steamy read! The characters are amusing, flirtatious, and shameless; while the plot is a rowdy and entertaining journey that follows the unlikely romance between a chaotic fifth grade teacher and one sexy male stripper. The author does a great job of unearthing the unique and dynamic brotherhood that lies beneath the glitter, sequinned thongs, and shallow partying of the world of exotic dancing. A fun and fresh love story; Stripped shows us just how crazy love can get when two people from two very different worlds come crashing together....more

I wanted to like this book. I really did. And it had a lot of great qualities. Some of the banter was really fun, and there was some good-ish female friendship stuff, but a lot of it for me got bogged down by poor characterizations and the focus was not on the parts that I was interested most in.

Zac Fallon is a male stripper, touring with a group of guys. He’s starting to feel a bit at loose ends. He’s older than the other guys (except for the manager who no longer strips? Maybe?) and now he feeI wanted to like this book. I really did. And it had a lot of great qualities. Some of the banter was really fun, and there was some good-ish female friendship stuff, but a lot of it for me got bogged down by poor characterizations and the focus was not on the parts that I was interested most in.

Zac Fallon is a male stripper, touring with a group of guys. He’s starting to feel a bit at loose ends. He’s older than the other guys (except for the manager who no longer strips? Maybe?) and now he feels like maybe he wants to settle down. He is definitely interested in the hottie that lives on the floor directly above him.

Robyn Flores is an elementary school teacher but is pretty much a mess of a human right now. We are told that she used to be 100% put together, but she and her best friend have apparently swapped places since Lily got engaged. What I wanted to know was WHY Robyn was such a mess. How did the change happen? Was it gradual? And why didn’t she end up in therapy for her obvious depression? I kept waiting for SOMEONE to point it out to her (“Maybe you’re depressed? How about therapy!”) but no one ever did. Ok, so Fallon pointed it out once, but she dismissed it and never returned to it. Throughout the whole book, Robyn moans and laments that she is a terrible friend to Lily, but hey – Lily isn’t such a great friend either. She is ignoring the fact that her best friend is obviously losing it. She’s covering for her lateness at work instead of trying to help. She complains that Robyn won’t talk to her, instead of insisting her friend tell her what’s going on. Depressed people don’t volunteer that they are depressed.

Okay, so that whole aspect really bothered me. And don’t get me started on the Evil Principal Platypus. (No, that’s not his real name. His real name is Lukas Papadopoulos. But they do call him that.) He seems all fine and good, until he shows up at a restaurant with an underage girl and appears to be getting her drunk and then hits on Robyn when their respective dates go to the bathrooms. But this is sort of glossed over. Someone who preys on underage girls should not be the principal of an elementary school.

I haven’t even really gotten into the actual romance, which was… fine. They had some sort of sexy times, although it seemed clunky and inorganic to me, but that may have been that I was just thinking about Principal Pedophile and The Depression That Shall Not Be Named. I wanted more about the actual stripping business, too. More of the joy that Fallon was getting from it, not just the seedy underbelly of it. (Which, I know is part of it, but the author makes such a point that Fallon really loves it, but all we see are the flashy or gross aspects, not the parts that give him such satisfaction.)

I initially reviewed this as a 3 star book, but all these problems with it are making me demote it to 2. I could go on about the things that didn’t work for me, but overall, I summed up the main things already. (Two other things that rubbed me the wrong way quickly: the random subplot about the money being stolen from the coffers of the strip show was weird and not needed and the firing of Robyn as Maid of Honor and the replacing of the future SIL was also awful and kind of heartless.) I will say that the writing was good and there weren’t a lot of technical issues. It’s just the plot and the characterizations did NOT work for me, and there were some weird pacing issues....more

I didn't really get this? Like, sure two people who aren't really happy with their lives meet and decide to start over together, sure. It happens very fast, but whatever. But I don't really get when they fell in love or why? I kept expecting to see it happen and then it never really did in a believable way for me.

I’ll start this off by saying that it took me a long time to get into Stripped. Essentially, it’s a Magic Mike story and that doesn’t necessarily appeal to me. For much of the opening act it’s kind of generic rom-com stuff and wasn’t anything super special yet. Also, both of the characters are complete hot messes and it gets tiresome to read about people who need to get their shit together. But then, towards the middle of the book Fallon is dancing on stage with Robyn and he gets a boner. I legiI’ll start this off by saying that it took me a long time to get into Stripped. Essentially, it’s a Magic Mike story and that doesn’t necessarily appeal to me. For much of the opening act it’s kind of generic rom-com stuff and wasn’t anything super special yet. Also, both of the characters are complete hot messes and it gets tiresome to read about people who need to get their shit together. But then, towards the middle of the book Fallon is dancing on stage with Robyn and he gets a boner. I legit exclaimed “boner!” with a full on fist pump. You know… like a creep. However, it made me oddly proud of their romance and from that point on I was pretty invested in their relationship. Who knew one boner could turn an entire story around?...more

DNF at 70%. I can't even bring myself to skim the rest. I don't care about either of these characters, the heroine's arc is weirdly mysterious, the hero's seems like it's going to be denigrating to sex workers and I don't buy anything about their "love" except that his muscles are hot. There is zero indication of what they find attractive about one another. There is a scene set where the hero works where the heroine is put on display in a way I found totally cringey from both a consent and a chaDNF at 70%. I can't even bring myself to skim the rest. I don't care about either of these characters, the heroine's arc is weirdly mysterious, the hero's seems like it's going to be denigrating to sex workers and I don't buy anything about their "love" except that his muscles are hot. There is zero indication of what they find attractive about one another. There is a scene set where the hero works where the heroine is put on display in a way I found totally cringey from both a consent and a characterization perspective. I don't care for the way the hero treats his dog. This book just didn't work for me on any level. I wanted to love it and I often do love romances with stripper characters. This was not one of them....more

DNF at 50% - Robyn drove me INSANE and I just wanted to scream, “GROW UP and get your sh$7 together and get to work on time and stop running away from stuff - you’re 28 for heaven’s sakes - I had 2 kids by then .” 🙄 Then I quit bc why waste my mental energy yelling at a fictional character?

This was my first stripper romance! So entertaining, it kept me from white-knuckling during the long plane ride on our recent trip to the UK. Robin and Fallon meet over a laundry mixup involving a star-spangled thong, and the flirty fun that follows is just what you’d expect from a meet cute like that. I wasn’t expecting, however, the conflicts that arise between them. I assumed her family wouldn’t be cool with his career, or she would be jealous of his clients, but Castile takes the story in aThis was my first stripper romance! So entertaining, it kept me from white-knuckling during the long plane ride on our recent trip to the UK. Robin and Fallon meet over a laundry mixup involving a star-spangled thong, and the flirty fun that follows is just what you’d expect from a meet cute like that. I wasn’t expecting, however, the conflicts that arise between them. I assumed her family wouldn’t be cool with his career, or she would be jealous of his clients, but Castile takes the story in a different direction and I loved that. There’s nothing formulaic about it. You’ll forget you’re reading a book about a male stripper and a teacher and just be sucked into the story of two people who genuinely like each other trying to reconcile their differences and make things work. And audio is a great choice here if you’re too shy to flash that ab-licious cover around in public, but also because the voice actors are perfectly cast and really bring the chemistry....more

This is a fun and sexy romance about a school teacher who just happens to have a next door neighbor who is an exotic dancer, a discovery she makes when he turns up as part of the entertainment at a bachelorette party. Robyn Flores and Zac Fallon couldn't be more different, yet the chemistry between them leads to a steamy relationship, one complicated by the fact that Zac is only supposed to be in New York for the summer before his team heads on to the next location. They both agree to a summer fThis is a fun and sexy romance about a school teacher who just happens to have a next door neighbor who is an exotic dancer, a discovery she makes when he turns up as part of the entertainment at a bachelorette party. Robyn Flores and Zac Fallon couldn't be more different, yet the chemistry between them leads to a steamy relationship, one complicated by the fact that Zac is only supposed to be in New York for the summer before his team heads on to the next location. They both agree to a summer fling, but it becomes more than that.

I might be one of the few readers in my circle who haven't watched Magic Mike but I'm familiar with the movie and I liked how the men in this story are proud of their talents and are happy with how they make a living, Zac included. They provide a fun and friendly service, make women feel desired and worthy and it's certainly a boost for one's self esteem, on either side of the lap dancing chair. It's Robyn who must admit that she has some negative preconceived notions about strippers, ones that change as she gets to know Zac. Sometimes Zac feels a bit out of Robyn's league but as their relationship develops, she is able to show him that she accepts him exactly as he is and doesn't expect him to change. Their sex scenes are steamy and definitely add to their connection.

Robyn is going through some tough times emotionally, unrelated to her new feelings for Zac. She and her best friend Lily, the woman whose bridal party she is in haven't been getting along well lately and this is causing her some stress, as is her job where she just isn't feeling much satisfaction as it's not really what she wants to be doing. Though she doesn't want to admit to herself that she's depressed, it's revealed in her actions - having trouble sleeping, coming in to work late, general dissatisfaction with life. Her relationship with Zac makes her happy, and helps her figure out how to address the other issues in her life. I liked how Robyn and Lily's friendship isn't perfect but a work in progress despite knowing each other since they were young. At the most important times, they've been there for each other when it counted, and reminding themselves of that helps them get through this rough patch too.

Zac's stripper buddies are decent, hardworking guys and their friendships are an important part of the story. I'm not sure what the author's plans are, but I hope we'll see more of them in the future. Stripped is an enjoyable and entertaining romance.

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review....more

"Fallon is the perfect mix of sweet and sexy, the kind that is so rare to find, he might as well be a fucking unicorn."

Where the hell has Zoey Castile been all my life? Yeah, you guessed it. The cover and title caught my attention and the synopsis closed the deal. I tried a new author and now she'll have a new stalker...I mean reader. I absolutely adore this story and the support characters are so incredible that I'm already jonesing for what they have in store for me next. The line forms

"Fallon is the perfect mix of sweet and sexy, the kind that is so rare to find, he might as well be a fucking unicorn."

Where the hell has Zoey Castile been all my life? Yeah, you guessed it. The cover and title caught my attention and the synopsis closed the deal. I tried a new author and now she'll have a new stalker...I mean reader. I absolutely adore this story and the support characters are so incredible that I'm already jonesing for what they have in store for me next. The line forms here...

My attention was caught from the very first chapter. It was so unique and hilarious that I'll be remembering it for a long time to come. What an introduction to Fallon and Robyn it was, and it just got better and better from there. The author's writing style is so smooth I just fell into the world of Stripped and before I realized it I was on the last page. Am I the only one who does this when they can't accept that it's over? I just kept tapping my Kindle, hoping that if I wished hard enough the next tap would produce an extra chapter...sigh. I guess I'll just have to be content with delicious anticipation as I wait for my next #HappyEnding....more

I love love. I love cute, quick romances that bring two unlikely people together, leaving me feeling warm and fuzzy all over. I love well-written, diverse romance stories, and I love Zoey Castille’s writing that sucks me in, from page one, and takes me on an emotional journey with two fantastic characters who deserve and receive their happily ever after.

I thoroughly enjoyed Stripped. It wasn't what I expected, it was more than just bit of fluff to read after a "heavy" book. What you do professionally shouldn't label you to the world, but it does in specific jobs. Take Fallon, he is a stripper and he loves his job. But it has a stigma and is not a "respectable" profession. Robyn is a school teacher and Fallon doesn't quite fit her lifestyle, but he brings her out of the slump of depression and she finds happiness with him no matter what. I am loI thoroughly enjoyed Stripped. It wasn't what I expected, it was more than just bit of fluff to read after a "heavy" book. What you do professionally shouldn't label you to the world, but it does in specific jobs. Take Fallon, he is a stripper and he loves his job. But it has a stigma and is not a "respectable" profession. Robyn is a school teacher and Fallon doesn't quite fit her lifestyle, but he brings her out of the slump of depression and she finds happiness with him no matter what. I am looking forward to continue Happy endings series. ...more

Stripped was one of my most anticipated books. I've read Zoraida's YA and loved. So this was my first romance by her (under the Zoey Castile name) and it did not disappoint. The way Fallon and Robyn meet had me cracking up right away. The laundry mixes up their bags and she's a bit confused about Fallon's red, white and blue thong lol. It was such a great opening. Draws you right in to wanting to learn more.

When we meet Robyn she is a messsss. But i lovedTHIS BOOK WAS SOOOOOO FUN AND GOOOOD!!

Stripped was one of my most anticipated books. I've read Zoraida's YA and loved. So this was my first romance by her (under the Zoey Castile name) and it did not disappoint. The way Fallon and Robyn meet had me cracking up right away. The laundry mixes up their bags and she's a bit confused about Fallon's red, white and blue thong lol. It was such a great opening. Draws you right in to wanting to learn more.

When we meet Robyn she is a messsss. But i loved her immediately. and Fallon my sweet, sexy Fallon. heart eyes alll over the place for this guy. HE HAS A HUSKY PUPPY NAMED YAZ!!

Now when they meet the banter and chemistry is soo great Fallon is a total goner over Robyn immediately. I love when the dude falls first :) he was so nervous around her !! Robyn was correct. Fallon is cute and ridiculous. and i love him . so so much. He genuinely loves stripping and getting to meet his crew was great. The behind the scenes of their rehearsals and getting ready for their shows was so well done. We really get a sense of the family, of the close knit relationships these guys have.

And after Fallon my fave guy was is his bestie Aiden who is getting his own book next whoop!

Robyn is kinda failing at being maid of honor to her bestie Lily and while they do talk out their strained relationship in the end I would have liked to see more of support system for Robyn. I mean to be fair she does lament how she didnt try to make friends at work apart from Lily. But Fallon had such a great support network in his crew I just sorta wanted the same for Robyn.

I also loooved the song titles at the beginning of each new chapter. So perfect and clearly well thought out because they mirror what happens in each chapter perfectly.

Listen the cuteness factor coupled with the steamy factor in this book was just sooo very well balanced and good??? Their date to the amusement part was so sweet then became steamy and i meaaan 10/10 would get steamy wit Fallon on a ride. yes please!

My emotions had emotions i tell you. There was soooo much emotion in the sexy time scene i didnt know what to do with myself ahhhhh. Fallon thinking about how he feels about Robyn and vice versa in that moment was golden. The execution of that. So well done. But the entire time Fallon is keeping from Robyn that the crew is leaving for Vegas earlier than planned cuz he doesn't want Robyn to end their summer thing before that. So i was sooo on edge but was grateful their wasn't some biiig explosion when she found out. my poor heart lol.

Fallon brings Robyn into his world, she comes to see him and his guys strip for the first time and talk about nerves! But it goes well. On the flipside Fallon feels out of place in Robyn's world when she invites him to the wedding. and of course Principal Annoying tries to ruin everything (GET WRECKED LUKAS NO ONE WANTS YOU HERE!!) but they get their HEA after some tiny bumps along the way.

I was super satisfied by the ending. yessss Robyn girl do ya ting! *cough* Anyways i'm eagerly awaiting book 2. This was a great start to this series. ...more

A spangled, American flag thong is the last thing Robyn Flores was expecting to find in what she thought was HER bag of clean laundry. Having a laundry mystery is not what the frazzled elementary school teacher needs when she is already at risk of losing her job for chronic lateness and floundering to accomplish pretty much anything, including being the maid of honor for her best friend's wedding.

Zac Fallon, Captain American lookalike and devastatingly charming, is the owner of the thong and andA spangled, American flag thong is the last thing Robyn Flores was expecting to find in what she thought was HER bag of clean laundry. Having a laundry mystery is not what the frazzled elementary school teacher needs when she is already at risk of losing her job for chronic lateness and floundering to accomplish pretty much anything, including being the maid of honor for her best friend's wedding.

Zac Fallon, Captain American lookalike and devastatingly charming, is the owner of the thong and and Robyn's new downstairs neighbor. A world traveler and male stripper, Fallon is blown away by the woman he finds desperately using his clean clothes to clean up a coffee spill.

Despite their immediate attraction and a sort of first dinner date, Fallon shuts down Robyn's further attempts to get to know him. She can't understand why, until she realizes she made a crack about not having trashy male stripper's at her best friend's upcoming bachelorette party. The same bachelorette party Fllon and his fellow strippers show up at.

What follows is a breathtakingly sexy romance where both Robyn and Fallon come to realize that what is on the surface is not the whole story, and that despite their decidedly opposite careers, upbringings, and families, what they have in common is far more than they could have ever dreamed.

So fun, with lots of witty banter but also wonderfully serious moments. I loved the entire story arc and could not put this one down. A perfect next read for those who loved The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory or The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang!

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reading copy!

FYI - the audiobook is fantastic! I listened to it for my second read and the two narrators were wonderful and really brought the story alive....more

An ARC of this book was generously provided to me from the publisher via NetGalley.Overall Rating: 2.5 starsDo I recommend it? This was just okay for me. At times the H’s voice was very feminine, and the h’s inner-thoughts were overdone. The verbiage was occasionally awkward, and the story didn’t flow well for me. I think if you read a lot of books this story has been done before and since there was nothing unique or outstanding about this one it didn’t stand out for me.Genre: Contemporary, butAn ARC of this book was generously provided to me from the publisher via NetGalley.Overall Rating: 2.5 starsDo I recommend it? This was just okay for me. At times the H’s voice was very feminine, and the h’s inner-thoughts were overdone. The verbiage was occasionally awkward, and the story didn’t flow well for me. I think if you read a lot of books this story has been done before and since there was nothing unique or outstanding about this one it didn’t stand out for me.Genre: Contemporary, but felt NAPOV: Both Writing: 2.5 stars Story/Plot: 2.5 stars Characters: 2 starsEmotions: 2 stars, this didn’t evoke a lot of strong emotions for me one way or the other.Flow/pacing: 2 starsSteam: 3 starsHEA: YesWill I read this author again? Maybe...more

I decided to give this a go even though it sounded very cliched with a romance between a 5th grade teacher and a stripper. Zac Fallon has rented the flat downstairs from Robyn Flores. They first meet when she picks up his laundry and he has hers, weirdly even though she realises it’s not her laundry she uses some of it to wipe up spilled coffee. When he knocks at her door to get his laundry he is immediately drawn to her, and she thinks he’s very handsome. But her life is one chaotic mess, she’sI decided to give this a go even though it sounded very cliched with a romance between a 5th grade teacher and a stripper. Zac Fallon has rented the flat downstairs from Robyn Flores. They first meet when she picks up his laundry and he has hers, weirdly even though she realises it’s not her laundry she uses some of it to wipe up spilled coffee. When he knocks at her door to get his laundry he is immediately drawn to her, and she thinks he’s very handsome. But her life is one chaotic mess, she’s always late for work, she’s also been neglecting her chief bridesmaid duties to her best friend Lily. Fallon doesn’t tell Robyn that he’s a stripper, then Robyn tells him she’s going to her friends Bachelorette party and makes a comment about trashy male strippers. Of course the strippers turn up and Robyn is shocked to see Fallon front and centre strutting his stuff.

While this was okayish I did have issues with it, I struggled with why Robyn’s life was chaotic, that was never explained. I wasn’t feeling the connection between the two lead characters except lust on both sides. Robyn was an okay character, I liked Fallon I did feel that his inner dialogue sounded quite girly at times. But my biggest issue was how accepting Robyn was with Fallon’s profession. When I say that I don’t mean that she or any woman shouldn’t date a stripper. But there are lots of assumptions about what goes on between them and the customers. Robyn knew from the bachelorette party she went to, that Fallon and his fellow strippers all came back to Fallon’s flat with girls from the bachelorette party. She never asked him or seemed concerned in any way what he might be getting up to. What made me laugh was the rest of the group were obviously getting down and dirty with customers after each performance, except Fallon. That was unrealistic. There were sub plots going on, one or two seemed unnecessary IMO. At the end of the day this was a romance you know when you pick it up how it’s going to end, it’s just how well the author writes that journey, in this case it was okay I felt a bit more drama and angst between the main couple might have livened up their relationship and the plot....more

Last month I visited California for the first time and made a pilgrimage to The Ripped Bodice, which has been at the top of my bookstore bucket list for years and exceeded every expectation. I picked up an incredible haul there, including a signed copy of Stripped by Zoey Castile. The book kicks off with a delightful and memorable meet-cute (all I’ll say is: swapped laundry bags) and from there Robyn and Zac can’t seem to stay away from each other. Robyn is an elementary school teacher who feelsLast month I visited California for the first time and made a pilgrimage to The Ripped Bodice, which has been at the top of my bookstore bucket list for years and exceeded every expectation. I picked up an incredible haul there, including a signed copy of Stripped by Zoey Castile. The book kicks off with a delightful and memorable meet-cute (all I’ll say is: swapped laundry bags) and from there Robyn and Zac can’t seem to stay away from each other. Robyn is an elementary school teacher who feels as though she’s lost her sense of purpose, and Zac is a stripper who loves his work but still feels unfulfilled. Add in an adorable Siberian Husky, a pack of great friends, and some killer dance moves and you’ve got one fantastic read. I’ve already ordered a copy of the second book in this series from my local indie, and I’m going to finally dive into the movie that inspired this book: Magic Mike. —Kelly (excerpted from Bookish's Staff Reads)...more

(4 1/2 stars) I really enjoyed this romance and I suspected that I would based on the raves I was hearing from readers that I trust. A stripper romance done well - there are so many ways to mess up a stripper romance by making it cheesy or unrealistic. This one felt very honest and real. It explored a number of issues in unexpected ways which I appreciated. The author would zig as soon as I thought she was going to zag. It was a fun read with great characters, a realistic storyline, and I loved(4 1/2 stars) I really enjoyed this romance and I suspected that I would based on the raves I was hearing from readers that I trust. A stripper romance done well - there are so many ways to mess up a stripper romance by making it cheesy or unrealistic. This one felt very honest and real. It explored a number of issues in unexpected ways which I appreciated. The author would zig as soon as I thought she was going to zag. It was a fun read with great characters, a realistic storyline, and I loved every moment of it. I could not put it down! ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.This has been one of my most-anticipated romance reads for a WHILE, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it! It was SO engrossing; I basically read it almost all the way through in one day. The Magic Mike XXL comparisons are there, of course, but with all the romance trappings that movie truly deserved. And it's going to be a series?! I am SO HERE FOR THIS.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my owThis has been one of my most-anticipated romance reads for a WHILE, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it! It was SO engrossing; I basically read it almost all the way through in one day. The Magic Mike XXL comparisons are there, of course, but with all the romance trappings that movie truly deserved. And it's going to be a series?! I am SO HERE FOR THIS.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more

Loved this book so much! Just the type of book to help me kick off my summer reading list and get me out of my reading slump. Funny, steamy and I can't wait to read more about the boys from Mayhem City!Thanks to Kensington for the ARC!

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Zoey Castile was born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York. She started writing in her teens and pursued that love in her studies at Hunter College and the University of Montana. For nearly a decade, she worked as a bartender, hostess, and manager in New York City's nightlife. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @ZoeyCastile. You can also email her at ZoeyCastile@gmail.com